


Five Times He Ignored It and the One Time He Didn't

by RebaK1tten



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: 5 Times, Established Relationship, I don't know what else, M/M, comment fic fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-16
Updated: 2014-08-16
Packaged: 2018-02-13 08:47:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2144415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebaK1tten/pseuds/RebaK1tten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From a prompt on LJ's Comment Fic from blythechild </p>
<p>Five times Aaron ignores the flirting and one time he can't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Times He Ignored It and the One Time He Didn't

“Have you been able to spend any time looking around the city?”

Aaron glances over to where Deputy Sheriff Clayton is leaning against a desk, talking quietly to Spencer. Spencer appears to be concentrating on the map on the board, but Aaron can see his shoulders stiffen just a little. Maybe not something everyone would notice, but Aaron does.

“The only times I’ve been to Seattle have been for work, so no, I haven’t done a lot of exploring. I hope to at some point, though. When I’m not working, of course,” Spencer says quietly, glancing at Clayton, but mostly focusing on the map.

“Well, maybe when the case is done, you can arrange to stay a little longer? You guys have been here for almost three weeks -- you must get at least a long weekend, right?” Clayton asks, chuckling. He’s a little older than Spencer and about as tall and only slightly less muscled than Morgan.

“Not really,” Spencer shrugs. “Usually after the case, we just get back home and recoup. And then there’s always another one.”

Clayton smiles, either not picking up on Spencer’s signals or not caring. “Too bad, you should get a chance to relax.”

“Oh, I do get to relax,” Spencer says, giving what Aaron knows is a fake smile. “I have a partner at home, we’re very happy together.”

Clayton pulls back a little, and smiles. “Really? I guess I didn’t pick that up. You don’t phone anyone that I’ve seen. And he oughta put a ring on it.”

“We both work, and I don’t make personal calls while working.” He shrugs and says, “Anyway, Dylan, I’m definitely involved with someone. But thanks.”

He doesn’t get any further as one of the other Deputies comes in and says, “Dylan, we got the search warrants we need.”

“Thanks, Brian,” he says and turns to Spencer with a smile. “Gotta get back to work, Agent.”

“Hotch?” Spencer says, calling him over, “I found an anomaly with the geographic profile. I think we need to relook at where he’s leaving the bodies.”

Aaron doesn’t say anything, just gets back to work.

 

 

The Coroner’s office is in the bottom floor of the county hospital, so Aaron is able to meet up with Spencer after he’s interviewed one of the few living victims.

“I think I have everything we need, Hotch. I just need to get copies of the lab results,” Spencer says, distracted as he flips through one of the thick files.

“Same cause of death as the others?” Aaron asks, reading over his shoulder.

“Um hm. It seems he may have been interrupted, overall the injuries weren’t as bad as with some of the others.”

“Here’s your file, Spencer,” the coroner’s assistant says, handing a manila envelope to Spencer. Gwen Aldrich, according to her name tag, holds on to it and grins when he takes it and tugs gently.

“Gwen,” he says, “please?”

“Go ahead, I know you’re busy, Spence,” she says and winks at him. “Let me know if I can do anything else for you. Anything.”

In the hallway, Spencer doesn’t say anything and Aaron can’t stop grinning.

 

 

“So this is the guy you think is kidnapping all those women?” Mike the bartender asks, looking at the drawing Spencer gives him.

“He’s a person of interest and should be considered dangerous,” Spencer answers, deftly avoiding giving an actual answer.

He puts the picture down on the bar and takes a sip of something fizzy before he asks, “So do you think he’ll come here? Is he going to come in shooting or something?”

“He has found victims in bars, so it’s possible that he could come here; he hasn’t taken anyone from this bar before,” Spencer says. “He’s unlikely to come in shooting or being actively violent to anyone other than his chosen victim profile.  He likes blond men in their early to mid-twenties.”

“I guess I’m safe then,” Mike says, scuffing a hand through his black crew cut. “Should you be out in bars? Or are you like a plant or something?”

“Me?” Spencer asks, voice a manly squeak. “No, I’m not blond and I’m out of the age range and I’m…”

Mike chuckles and says, “Sorry, just yanking your chain. So if I see this guy, what do I do? Slip him a roofie? Chain him up in the office?”

Spencer pulls a business card out of his wallet and puts it on the bar, next to the picture of their unsub. “No, just call us and we’ll have someone here. You definitely shouldn’t approach him.”

“Will you let me know if you catch him? You know, so we can feel safe?”

“I’m sure you’ll see it on the news,” Spencer answers, getting ready to leave; there are still three more bars to get to.

“And if I don’t see him? Can I call you just because?” Mike asks, giving Spencer a long look up and down.

“As soon as he’s arrested, the FBI will be leaving town,” Spencer says. “Thank you for your help and good night.”

Aaron meets him a few steps from the bar, where he’s been talking with the other bartender, a man slightly older than Mike who apparently wasn’t at all interested in Aaron.

“Just don’t, Aaron,” Spencer says as they get in the car to go to their next stop.

 

 

Aaron stands where he can keep one eye on Spencer and Jack at the checkout counter and his other eye on the shelf of new books available for checkout.

Spencer’s in charge of their personal summer reading program for Jack, something they bonded over a few years ago. Aaron remembers how awkward they both were when he and Spencer started seeing each other; Spencer having no idea how to deal with Aaron’s young son and Jack worried and confused by the new person in his dad’s life.

Years later, looking at them together, checking out a tall stack of books, they’re both relaxed and smiling. Actually, with Jack so fair, he’s often mistaken for Spencer’s biological son and Aaron’s thought to be the step-dad.

Aaron stops and watches them at the counter, with the pretty new librarian who helped them pick out books. Now Aaron watches as she smiles at Spencer, playing with her hair, touching her chest, biting her lower lip and finally, she reaches over the counter and puts her hand on Spencer’s arm.

Spencer stiffens slightly and from his viewpoint, Aaron can see he has his professional smile on as they finish checking out.

“Bye, guys!” the librarian calls as they leave the counter. “See you next time!”

“Bye, Ms. Griffin, see you soon!” Jack yells back.

Spencer whispers, “Library voice, please.”

“Sorry,” Jack whispers loudly and runs over to his father, arm full of new books. “Are you getting anything, Dad? Pop helped me pick out a bunch of new things!”

“Not this time, buddy, I still have a couple of books at home I haven’t finished,” Aaron tells him and lets Jack run out ahead of them as they go towards the car.

“So…Ms. Griffin, eh?” Aaron asks in his deadpan voice.

Spencer shakes his head and slows down so Jack can get a little more ahead of them. “She wanted to set up a play date for Jack and her son. First, he doesn’t need play dates set up any more and second…” He sighs, “Divorced soccer moms scare me.”

Aaron snorts, “You’ve been locked in a cell with a psychopathic serial killer and you’re scared of soccer moms?”

“Serial killers I understand.”

 

 

This case is local, that’s the good part. That the killer is escalating and every morning there’s another dead prostitute is the bad part.

 The team, along with local law enforcement, is out on the streets interviewing the working women, giving them a simple version of the profile and warning them to stick together and watch out for each other.

After a couple of hours, they meet back to see if anyone’s learned anything from their interviews.

“The profile sounded familiar to a couple of women, but not enough that they could give a full description,” Dave says.

Dave was partnered with JJ and she nods, saying, “We got the most recognition south of the Beltway, which is what we expected.”

“How’d you two do?” Morgan asks Aaron, as he approaches with Spencer.

“Spoke with all the women who would talk with us. Had one woman who said she thought she could give us a description, and she said she’ll be coming in tomorrow morning to work with a sketch artist,” Aaron answers.

“Wow, that’s positive,” Alex says. “Derek and I pretty much bombed out as far as anyone who recognized the description.”

“Well, we still have to see if she’ll come in; we tried to convince her to come in tonight, but, you know,” Spencer says, shrugging.

“Make any new friends, Pretty Boy?” Alex looks confused and Morgan explains, “All the working girls love Spencer.”

He shrugs and says, “I’m considered non-threatening, so they talk with me. Whatever works.”

“You’re being modest, Reid,” Aaron says, with a grin. “There were several woman who would have been happy to have kept you company tonight. I think you might have gotten a professional-to-professional discount, too.”

“Well, let’s go back and write this up while it’s still fresh,” Alex says and starts down the block towards where their SUV is parked.

Dave puts a hand on Aaron’s arm to hold him back from the group and when they’re a few steps ahead he says quietly, “That doesn’t bother him anymore? Hookers hitting on him? It doesn’t bother you?”

“No, Dave, it’s meaningless. Besides, Spencer can more than take care of himself.”

It’s Dave’s turn to snort and then he says, “Yes, I know his mouth is his weapon, I’ve been on the receiving end. I’m just thinking that maybe he doesn’t _need_ you to step in, but maybe sometimes he might _want_ you to.” He shrugs as they get to the SUV, walking to the passenger side so Aaron can drive. “But what do I know, I’m divorced.”

 

 

It’s late, the end of a long day after a long week. Aaron packs his briefcase with what he hopes is the final draft of next year’s budget. If they don’t replace one of the team’s cars and double up more at hotels, he should be able to squeak a bit of a raise for everyone on the team. He’ll forego a raise and maybe talk with Dave about skipping a raise this period as well; money isn’t why Dave’s here. He knows JJ will appreciate some extra leave days, but Dave doesn’t take the ones he’s already owed. Spencer doesn’t like talking about personnel issues, but maybe he’ll have some ideas about what incentives Dave might want in lieu of a their pitiful annual adjustment.

With this on his mind, he locks up his office and stands at the top of the stairs looking down into the bullpen. Spencer’s standing with his back to his desk talking with one of the new agents, fresh from the academy.

Spencer looks up, catching his eye for just a second, still nodding at the man in front of him. It’s something they’ve always done, even before they were in a relationship; they just search each other out in whatever room they’re in.

“So I read your paper on sleep and cognitive disorders, it was pretty interesting,” the agent says to Spencer. “Maybe sometime I can buy you a coffee and ask you a couple of questions about it.”

“Really?” Spencer asks, cocking his head. “You’re in cyber-crimes, aren’t you, Agent Dawson? Seems like an odd thing for you to read.”

“Call me Tyler, please. And yes I am. And I’m kind of surprised you know that,” he says, smiling at Spencer, all white teeth and blue eyes.

Spencer looks genuinely confused when he says, “Of course I know what department you’re in; it’s in the phone directory.”

Aaron knows that Spencer is famous at Quantico, their own resident genius. Multiple PhDs, hired as the youngest agent, etc. The shiny new probationary agents always try to get a look at their team and Spencer in particular. Usually there’s one who’s brave enough to try for something more, and apparently this season it’s Tyler Dawson.

Spencer still looks younger than his years - he just has that kind of face and still dresses like a college student, maybe one with a little flair. Although Aaron now sees the lines around his eyes and between his brows that don’t go away unless he’s sleeping. He doesn’t even want to think about the lines on his own face, looking at this year’s fresh faces.  

Before Tyler can say anything else, Aaron reaches Spencer’s desk and sets his case in his empty chair, saying, “Hey, you ready to go home?” He turns to the other agent and holds out his hand, “Aaron Hotchner, nice to meet you. You’re Dauber in cyber, right?”

“Dawson. Tyler Dawson, it’s nice to meet you, too, sir. I, um…” He looks between the two of them and takes a step away from Spencer.

Spencer half-turns, holding in a smile and gathers a few folders on his desk. “I’ll be ready in just a minute, Aaron.”

“Well, I won’t keep you two, have a good night,” Dawson says, backing away.

“Nice to meet you, Tyler, thanks for stopping by. Let me know if you have any questions on that paper,” Spencer says to him as he leaves. Dawson just nods and walks very quickly towards the elevator.

“Sorry, I hope you don’t mind that I interrupted,” Aaron says, smirking. “Just getting tired of the newbies always sniffing around.”

“Sniffing around? That’s a pretty picture,” Spencer answers. “You sure you don’t want to just pee around my desk?”

“That’s generally frowned upon.” Aaron watches as Spencer goes through the steps to shut down and secure his PC. “But maybe you might be willing to wear a ring? Just as a deterrent, I know you don’t like jewelry, but maybe it’ll stop some people from hitting on you.”

Spencer quietly packs his briefcase and turns to Aaron. “A ring? Well, same sex marriage is now legal in Virginia.  So maybe. You’ll have one too, right?”

“I’m not the one who gets hit on.”

“August 14, Denver, the Sergeant. July 28 in Portland was the waitress. May 4, Boston, ER doctor. Do you need me to continue?” Spencer picks up his case and walks towards the elevators.

“Point taken. Matching rings,” Aaron says and smiles as the elevator arrives. “I think I like that.”

“I think I’m going to make you very happy tonight,” Spencer grins and brushes his hand against Aaron’s.

Aaron takes his hand and says, “Jack’s home tonight, don’t forget.”

“Quietly happy then.”

 


End file.
